Podnosis

Maternal and infant health remains a significant challenge across the country. To support better outcomes for both pregnant women and their babies, industry giant UnitedHealth Group is investing in doulas. Its insurance arm recently expanded a doula support program nationwide in its employer plans. 

In this episode, Fierce Senior Writer Paige Minemyer sits down with Catherine Anderson, senior vice president for health optimization strategy at UnitedHealth Group, to discuss how doulas can support the pregnancy journey and the role they can play in broader community health efforts. 

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• UnitedHealthcare expands doula benefit to employers nationwide
• Exclusive: Medicaid insurers can do more to improve maternal health access, HHS report says
• Doulas, once a luxury, are increasingly covered by Medicaid—even in GOP states
• Massachusetts Blues launches new doula pilot program, caregiving support

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Mike Sciandra grew up around gamblers. It wasn’t long before he became one. He gambled for more than 20 years, declaring bankruptcy twice. He knew he had a problem, but it wasn’t until he entered treatment that he realized it was a gambling addiction.

In today’s episode, you’ll hear Sciandra tell his story to Senior Writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya. The interview was recorded as part of a story published this week on the state of gambling addiction in the U.S.

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• ‘The next opioid epidemic’: Gambling legalization outpaces public health response to addiction
• Gambling addiction startup Birches Health to expand offerings, provider training under new clinical VP

If you or someone you know is struggling, contact 1-800-MY-RESET for the National Problem Gambling Helpline.

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Prior authorization is often cited as a major pain point in healthcare—but it doesn’t have to be. In this conversation, Dr. Michelle Gourdine, Chief Medical Officer at CVS Caremark, shares how Caremark is transforming the prior authorization experience through automation, clinical rigor and responsible use of artificial intelligence.

Dr. Gourdine explains why prior authorization remains an important tool for ensuring medications are used safely and appropriately while acknowledging the burden it can place on providers and patients. She details how Caremark has reduced median processing times from hours to minutes, processed millions of requests at scale and proactively renewed approvals to avoid treatment disruptions.

The discussion also explores how AI is being applied in a clinician‑decides model, supporting faster decisions without ever being used to deny care. From specialty drugs to high‑cost therapies like GLP‑1s, Dr. Gourdine outlines how clinical evidence, affordability and patient outcomes guide every decision. The result is a more efficient, transparent approach to prior authorization that keeps care moving forward.

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How many doctors are using AI tools in a healthcare setting? It’s a question everyone wants answered, and one that’s impossible to pin down exactly. But recent data may offer a clue.

Wolters Kluwer, which creates evidence-based clinical decision support tools for physicians, conducted a survey of more than 500 health professionals, finding that 40% have encountered unauthorized AI tools at work and 17% have used them. But a blanket ban may not necessarily be the best approach. The unauthorized use of AI tools is referred to as “shadow AI” in a report on the findings.

To explain what organizations can do to protect themselves, their providers and their patients, Senior Writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya speaks with Alex Tyrrell, CTO of Wolters Kluwer Health.

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• 57% of healthcare professionals have encountered or used unauthorized AI tools at work
• ECRI flags misuse of AI chatbots as a top health tech hazard in 2026
• Microsoft unveils Copilot Health as an AI health companion for consumers
• OpenEvidence clinches $250M series D as AI platform sees explosive growth with doctors
• Some doctors are using public AI chatbots like ChatGPT in clinical decisions. Is it safe?

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The COVID-19 pandemic spotlighted burnout in healthcare. While not new, the challenge was compounded by the toll of caring for patients on the frontlines. Burnout rates have swelled since then, and addressing them is not simple.

A recent Johnson & Johnson survey of more than 1,500 surgeons across five countries found that half experience burnout, and 43% have seriously considered leaving surgery.

To understand the implications of the findings, Senior Writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya speaks with Africa Wallace, M.D., vice president of medical affairs, surgery and medtech at Johnson & Johnson.

She also speaks with Angela Chaudhari, M.D., associate professor and vice chair of faculty affairs at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Chaudhari discusses a clinician peer support initiative she directs at Northwestern and the role it plays in mitigating burnout.

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• Nearly all doctors suffer burnout, survey finds, but many cautiously hopeful that AI could help
• 5 years later: A look back at the COVID-19 pandemic and how healthcare has changed

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Rare diseases, defined in the U.S. as conditions affecting fewer than 200,000 people, can take years, if not decades, to diagnose. About 10,000 rare diseases affect 30 million Americans, and half of those patients are children.

What if rare diseases could be identified early and treated proactively before they progress? That is becoming more possible thanks to advances in genetic testing. One company, GeneDx, is on a mission to address diagnostic challenges through faster, more affordable genome testing.

To explain the evolution of this technology, how it is changing lives and where it may go in the future, Senior Writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya speaks with GeneDx CEO Katherine Stueland.

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• RNA sequencing spots 40% more cancer mutations in children than standard genetic tests: study
• Regeneron, Illumina and more back Truveta for 10M genome sequencing project
• Survey: Many rare disease patients struggle to navigate care

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In this sponsored episode of Podnosis, CVS Caremark Senior Vice President and Chief Growth Client Success Officer James Margiotta joins host Chris Hayden for an in‑depth look at the rapidly changing pharmacy benefits landscape. Drawing on more than 35 years across payer, PBM, pharmacy and healthcare delivery roles, Margiotta shares what employers and plan sponsors need most in 2026 and beyond: strategic partnership, transparency, affordability and a seamless member experience.

The conversation explores how accelerating drug costs, GLP‑1 utilization, specialty spend and biosimilars are forcing a new, more integrated approach to benefit design. Margiotta highlights how CVS Caremark is leading with technology, AI, clinical rigor and deep connections to the provider ecosystem—helping plan sponsors navigate disruption while improving outcomes and reducing friction for members.

Tune in to learn what meaningful transparency looks like, which cost‑management strategies actually work, and how data and digital innovation are redefining the future of pharmacy benefits.

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Emergency departments are required by law to treat anyone who comes through the door. But the financial model behind that guarantee is under strain. 

In this episode of "Podnosis," Fierce Healthcare and Life Sciences Editor-in-Chief Ayla Ellison talks with Tony Cirillo, M.D., president of the American College of Emergency Physicians, about the business of emergency medicine—who pays, how much, and what happens when the math stops working.

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• Without new financial support, emergency departments, physicians struggle to meet rising demand: RAND
• Op-ed: What if the ER is the emergency?
• Op-ed: Emergency physicians are holding the line, but we can't do it alone

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Fierce Healthcare's Fierce 15 is one of our favorite projects each year. Now in its eighth year, the list highlights companies bringing new ideas and innovation to some of healthcare’s most persistent challenges.

In this episode, members of the Fierce Healthcare editorial team discuss the Fierce 15 of 2026 and the trends shaping this year’s honorees—from AI-powered clinical tools to companies tackling insurance denials, behavioral health integration and early cancer detection.

The conversation also looks at what these companies reveal about the direction of healthcare, including the growing role of AI, the push for accountability across the system and the different paths startups are taking to build sustainable businesses.

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• Fierce Healthcare's Fierce 15 of 2026
• Fierce Healthcare highlights Fierce 15 of 2026 honorees at NYSE

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Healthcare earnings season is offering a mixed picture of the industry. 

In the latest episode of "Podnosis," Fierce Healthcare's Dave Muoio and Paige Minemyer break down the highlights from fourth-quarter earnings, where providers signaled growth while payers warned of financial headwinds amid a shifting policy landscape.

The episode also features an interview from the Lake Nona Impact Forum, where Fierce Healthcare’s Anastassia Gliadkovskaya spoke with Jeff DiLullo, head of Philips North America, about how health systems are thinking about AI, technology and the push to bring care closer to home.

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• UnitedHealth Group was the most profitable payer in a difficult 2025 for the industry
• After 2025's volumes shortfall, Universal Health Services says capacity, headcount investments will pay off in 2026
• Community Health Systems' hospital divestiture streak likely isn't over
• Tenet Health outperforms in Q4, projects solid 2026 despite ACA exchange headwinds
• HCA Healthcare unveils bullish 2026 guidance despite $600M-$900M ACA exchanges hit
• Lake Nona Impact Forum: There can't be longevity without tech
• Philips to invest $150M in US manufacturing base, including ultrasound site expansion
• Philips rolls out major AI upgrades for cardiac ultrasound platforms
• Philips launches new point-of-care ultrasound system for critical care

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